Saturday, July 10, 2010

Today I am going to a memorial service for my sponsor‘s sponsor and dear friend, D. D. was active in a 12-Step program for more than 30 years; a woman who lived the principle’s of the program through all of her life’s trials including cancer and the heart failure which took her life here on earth last week. She is survived by several children who are still active in their addictions, a father in the advance stages of Alzheimer’s and many, many people in recovery who were blessed to be a part of her life.

D. didn’t live around here, so I never got the pleasure of meeting her. I have never even talked to her or seen a picture of her. But, I feel like I know her from listening to my sponsor talk of her over the years as she passed along the strength and hope to me that she received from D.

That is how it works. We share our experience, strength, and hope with others who want what we have and then they share it with others and so on. In this way we are all connected. Connected by the perils of addiction and more importantly, by the solution we found in the 12-Steps.

My sponsor told me that other women whom D. sponsored are driving in from other parts of the country and bringing the women they sponsor, too. The women they sponsor have never met D. either. It is amazing to me that the connection we feel with others in recovery is so strong and alive that we will travel hundreds of miles to attend a memorial service of someone whom we have never met.

I believe this connection is the Divine, who intertwines itself across our lives pulling us all together during times like this. This thought leaves me with a grateful heart, one that I will take with me today in humble service and love and with a willingness to do the will of God.

4 comments:

marie, this was such a lovely tribute for a woman who will surely be missed! it takes such great dedication to care for people the way it sounds that d. had done and she was admired for that, i'm sure! safe travels to all...i'm so glad that you get to be a part of an event that will leave most of you in tears but with such gratitude for a life well spent.

It's a great thing to be loved by people you never met before in your life and it's even greater to have the memories of you accompanied by feelings of deep love and even reverence. I love how AA brings you all closer to God

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Welcome! I am glad you are here. I am married to a wonderful man. By the grace of God, I have been sober for the past eight years. My goal in life is to have the best relationship with God that I possibly can. My goal for this blog is to provide an opportunity for us to share our experience, strength, and hope with one another. Please feel free to share from your heart as will I. Thank you for reading. ---------- Many blessings, Marie

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